ABSTRACT
Bathwater: Because of the Common Core, there is to be very little traditional literature, such as poetry, stories, and drama. It’s all about nonfi ction now.
Baby: The Common Core recommends a 50%–50% ratio of literary and informational text on the elementary level, gradually tipping that balance to 70% of informational text by the time students are in grades 9-12. However, the 70% of informational text includes the entire school day, not just English class. When you consider that most of what is read in subjects other than English class is informational, you realize that English teachers are not expected to jettison half of their novels, poetry, and plays. All the English teachers need to do to make things balance out is to include a bit more informational text, and that informational text can (and should) be related to the literature already in place. English teachers may have to let go of a novel or two-or, teach only the highlights of some of the longer works.
